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Transcript from GM Peter Chiarelli's media availability on 10/24

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Staff Writer
/ Boston Bruins

BOSTON BRUINS PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Friday, October 24, 2014

BOSTON BRUINS GENERAL MANAGER PETER CHIARELLI MEDIA AVAILABILITY AT 11:30 AMOpening statement…So just an update on the injury sustained by Zdeno [Chara] last night. He suffered an injury to the posterior cruciate ligament of the left knee. He’ll be out four to six weeks. It is a tear, but this is completely different, separate, isolated from the other ligaments that are more, I guess, more critical in the maneuvering of the knee. Good news is it’s isolated to that ligament; bad news is he’s out four to six weeks. It might be a little bit earlier than four weeks, but a conservative time-frame would be four to six weeks.

On needing surgery…No.

On the impact of losing Chara for that time…It’s obviously a blow. He’s one of the premier defensemen in the league, but I’d rather have it four to six weeks than four to six months.

On changing thinking about bolstering the team up front…Um, four to six weeks we will have him back so I don’t really—I’ve actually been happy with us up front lately. So, not really no.

On there being no replacement…Yeah, you hope everyone else picks up the slack. We’ve had a stretch before around the same amount of time, it might not have been four to six weeks but it was more like three weeks, where Zee [Zdeno Chara] was out. They don’t happen too often but you hope everyone picks up the slack and plays a solid defensive game.

On Chara being able to continue to exercise…There are things you can do, you just have to be immobile for a little bit with the knee but he’s got the rest of his body that he can work.

On expectations for the team for the next four to six weeks…Well, obviously you want the other D to pick up the slack. You want to play a tighter defensive game. We’re not going to have Zee [Zdeno Chara] who’s a bit of a stopper in that—obviously more than a bit of a stopper but he plays that shut down. Were gonna need guys to play a better defensive game, forwards and D. So what is success Matt? We have to play a tighter defensive game.

On the goalie playing better as well…Everybody, yeah.

On the injury happening on the Tavares hit…Yes.

On the team playing poor defensively, being a wakeup call…It puts more responsibility on other players. We’ve historically been good defensively and we’ve had some good defensive games, we’ve had some not-so-good defensive games so these guys have to, as I said, they have to pick up the slack. They have more responsibility now. Whether that is a wakeup call for them or not that’s incumbent on them to do it.

On Bartkowski stepping up last year compared to this year…Well I think he’s been in and out in his games. I think there’s been areas where I’ve liked and there’s been areas where he’s still a little rusty. He’s one of six or seven that have to—I guess six now, that have to be better defensively. You’ve seen a couple of his plays where guys have been behind him and stuff. I could pinpoint five or six other plays that apply to the other D men too, so they have to head on a swivel kind of a phrase there. They have to be better that way.

On Trotman and Morrow coming up…Well they’re both strong kids. They’re both good skaters. They both can find seems, can find lanes. Joe’s [Morrow] been a consistent performer down there. Zach [Trotman] just lately has been picking up his game. So they’re both strong kids that can skate.

On the identity of the defense changing without Chara and Miller…Yeah those guys are big, strong, shutdown guys. You can’t—the two guys that we’re bringing up they’re younger, less experienced players that don’t have the resume that the guys that are hurt have. So you make do with what you have at this point. They have their assets, they have their good parts of their game. Like I said, they’re both strong skaters and they’re strong. While they’re not pure shutdown guys like a [Kevan] Miller or Zee [Zdeno Chara]—he’s more than just a pure shutdown guy but they have their things they can bring to the table and excel at. So it’s not a change of identity. These guys are strong and they can defend. I think that’s what the consistent thing is.

On Miller having a timeline…No.

On Miller progressing…Yes.

On bringing up two guys because of another injury besides Chara…There’s a couple little things but I think it will be ok.

On looking outside to bring in defensive help…I don’t normally comment on that stuff Joe. I know I have on the forward side of it. I’ll leave it at that. You guys can speculate.

On Chara definitely not needing surgery…Right now it’s not a likely option but as you said, anything can happen. Anything can happen with anything. I can’t give you a hundred percent statement or confirmation really on any injury.

On hoping to see improvement from Seidenberg…Is that a nice way to say he’s struggling? I don’t think he’s struggling. I think he’s finding his game. He’s another one that—we’ve got some guys that have missed some time and recovering from injuries and he’s one of them. He’s finding his game. I’ve actually liked that pair. I thought that pair has been pretty good. He’s slowly finding his game. If you look closely at his game, he’s slowly getting his legs, he’s slowly getting his timing back, slowly getting his passing back. I think you see more offensive chances from him. He’s skating the puck more. He will get better.

On changing strategy facing Toronto…Fluto, that’s the coach’s thing. It won’t be traditionally what we do. Right? Because normally they try and get Zee [Zdeno Chara] on against their more elite players. That’s what we generally do for everything, so you have to spread out those duties. You got a guy like Seids [Dennis Seidenberg] who can defend, Dougie [Hamilton] who’s starting to become a better defender. We’ve got guys like Adam and stuff. Like I said earlier, these guys their duties, their responsibilities will be spread out.